1
as in absurd
conceived or made without regard for reason or reality
an unreal claim that is distant from the slightest hint of truth
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in imaginary
not real and existing only in the imagination
the unreal world of TV sitcoms
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of unreal
Evergreens in thick blankets of snow look almost unreal, like something out of Finnish Lapland or the pages of a Narnia novel.
—
Claire Sibonney, Travel + Leisure, 23 Feb. 2026
Fellow Buckeye Sonny Styles is a fascinating prospect with an unreal athletic profile.
—Chad Graff, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2026
But the characters are expressive, and the medium is used to unreal ends, which is, after all, what cartoons are good for.
—Television Critic, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2026
There’s a somewhat dreamy or vaguely unreal quality to this place so far from what one typically thinks of as civilization.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 20 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unreal
Claire Sibonney, Travel + Leisure, 23 Feb. 2026
Fellow Buckeye Sonny Styles is a fascinating prospect with an unreal athletic profile.
—Chad Graff, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2026
But the characters are expressive, and the medium is used to unreal ends, which is, after all, what cartoons are good for.
—Television Critic, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2026
There’s a somewhat dreamy or vaguely unreal quality to this place so far from what one typically thinks of as civilization.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 20 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unreal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unreal
Adjective
-
Characters speak in absurd double entendres no human being could leave unacknowledged.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Instead, Trump will have won by simply refusing to tell a story at all, outside of Hegseth’s absurd football-coach talk.—
Jay Caspian Kang,
New Yorker,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Nobody has ever called Brentford head coach Keith Andrews a magical or imaginary being.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Circumpolar stars Astronomers use a common set of reference points to project Earth’s north and south poles, and the equator, onto the celestial sphere, an imaginary sphere encompassing the sky.—
Vahe Peroomian,
The Conversation,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The eccentric cast of characters around him match his energy nicely, particularly McGinley's genuinely bizarre Walter, whose manic energy is a frequent source of humor.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Sometimes football throws up these bizarre twists of fate.—
Chris McKenna,
New York Times,
8 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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To ventriloquize one’s parent is a bold move, and fictitious Barbara would absolutely read it as a betrayal.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Mar. 2026
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Who wants to sit through a fictitious novelist’s clumsy drafts?—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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But asking a 30-year-old with balky legs to carry this burden is dangerous, if not foolish.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
5 Mar. 2026
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Shitposting, Topinka explains, makes good-faith engagement impossible and critics look foolish because the shitposter is plausibly joking.—
Malavika Kannan,
Vulture,
3 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
In a signal of how much pressure there was to do right by the beloved fictional couple, four endings were written and filmed.—
Yvonne Villarreal,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
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The Irish Triangle may sound like a fictional, far-away land, but, luckily for Louisvillians, this magical corner of the Highlands is very real.—
Amanda Hancock,
Louisville Courier Journal,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
If he was convicted, a jury would then have to decide whether Abril was insane when the park shooting occurred.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Like, dude, the views from the top are insane.—
Outside Online,
Outside Online,
4 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Sightings of mythical creatures in Rhode Island are far and few between these days, but a giant serpent that supposedly once lived in the woods of present-day Coventry is the subject of enduring local lore.—
Antonia Noori Farzan,
The Providence Journal,
6 Mar. 2026
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Some figures raise their arms in poses that suggest bodybuilders or mythic heroes.—
Miguel Sirgado,
Miami Herald,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unreal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unreal. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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